Clacton by-election

Galaxy

The number of young people claiming disability benefit has doubled in the last 5 years.

Yes, we need to find ways of enabling that group. 10 minutes whilst at the unemployment office just doesn’t hack it.

Cossy

FriedGreenTomatoes2

PIP:
Could explain why a quarter of the UK population now considers themselves ‘disabled’.

Where have you got that stat from??

As in all these “shock” claims, actually bother to look at the underlying data and you see how numbers can be misinterpreted to fit a narrative.

A quarter of the participants were state pension age.

The disability types were: mobility, stamina, dexterity, mental health, memory, hearing, vision, learning and other.

Unsurprisingly, a substantial number of older people said they had problems with most of those particular mobility, stamina, dexterity, memory, hearing and vision.

The report data does not indicate or whether participants were receiving state support for a disability. It was mainly looking at barriers across areas of life.

Just under two thirds (64%) of people aged 85 or over reported a disability - which really isn’t surprising at all.

The report says that the number of people entitled to receive a disability benefit has risen from 4.4 million in May 2005 (7.4% of the population) to 6.9 million in May 2025 (10.8% of the population).

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9602/CBP-9602.pdf

The most significant concern is young people, they are more likely to claim disability allowance than people in older age groups up to the age of 50.

What is relevant to the Clacton by-election is that the 2024 local data profile for Clacton produced by the DLUHC showed that:

Over 60% of Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Clacton-on-Sea were in the top 20% most deprived in England in terms of Education, Skills and Training, and Health Deprivation and Disability.

Health Deprivation and Disability (34.3% ) and Education, Skills and Training (31.4% ) were the domains that had the largest proportion of Clacton-on-Sea’s LSOAs in the top 10% most deprived in England.

(A Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) is a small geographic hierarchy used in England and Wales to report small-area census statistics. Designed by the Office for National Statistics, they consistently contain between 1,000 to 3,000 residents and 400 to 1,200 households).

If any area needed an MP who would take an interest in the needs of their constituents, it’s Clacton and yet sadly the people voted for the MP least likely to work for them … and will probably do so again - because a comedy bin isn’t go to do much for them either.

I do hope they televise the hustings.

I doubt you'd see him. He was notably absent from local hustings events for the 2024 general election in Clacton. Other candidates gathered for formal debates hosted by the BBC and other community groups, but he skipped them because, as we have come to know ,he doesn't like answering questions. He prefers to wander about flanked by bodyguards. Empty vessel.

And that, Graphite is the matter that needs to be shouted from the rooftops!

But all Farage does is blame it on "others", the "not us". Populist, but how will that help those in that level of deprivation? Because the realities of population movements are - all over Europe cannot be addressed by a single country, and we have made it harder for ourselves by coming out of the EU.

We moan

- try being on the front line, like the Islands of Greece, near Syria and across the Mediterranean Sea. (an excellent programme on the Beeb last night on the effects of the influx of incomers by boat - 2000 a day on Lesbos alone)

(Well worth a watch, it's not just on that topic at all with the excellent young Simon Reeve - we see its loveliness too www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p03gk69p/greece-with-simon-reeve

....but does give such a clear picture to take us away from purely domestic obsessions on the topic which is where the Far Right would take us.

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I doubt you'd see him. He was notably absent from local hustings events for the 2024 general election in Clacton. Other candidates gathered for formal debates hosted by the BBC and other community groups, but he skipped them because, as we have come to know ,he doesn't like answering questions. He prefers to wander about flanked by bodyguards. Empty vessel.

I’ll be amazed if he turns up, but given Clacton now seems to have far more candidates that we expected, they should be in for some interesting hustings.

I have no doubt that Farage will emerge the victor, I recall Trump stating once that he could shoot someone in a busy street in broad daylight and his hard core followers would still support him 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m sure he will be and what an empty exercise it will all have been. It won’t make a jot of difference to the people investigating his finances other than to postpone things for a few weeks.

I see more is being revealed about Cottrell’s involvement and financial support in 2024.

Farage has a habit of falling out with people and treating them badly so there’s no shortage of people willing to “spill the tea” now including Tony Mack the 2024 Reform candidate for Clacton who was bumped when Farage decided to parachuted in.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/09/fraudster-cottrell-was-introduced-as-farage-chief-of-staff-says-ex-reform-candidate

Well indeed cossy

Really, he's just attention seeking, given his personality, does he care? Nah.

Those with power atm have to work hard to offer what is needed in Clacton and other places suffering in a similar way - trouble is, resources and needs are very stretched. there is no easy answers.

I wish the people of Clacton would see that Farage has not and will not do anything for them and give someone else a chance. A vain hope but I would love to see him lose Clacton. He doesn't deserve it.

I am worried that the key opposition vote might be split between Count Binface and the Monster Raving Loony Party, both of which have better thought-out manifestos than Farage.

I wish the the people not in Clacton would think for one second why people might look elsewhere for political answers.

grumppa

I am worried that the key opposition vote might be split between Count Binface and the Monster Raving Loony Party, both of which have better thought-out manifestos than Farage.

🤣 spot on.

Galaxy

I wish the the people not in Clacton would think for one second why people might look elsewhere for political answers.

I agree, I am really uncomfortable with what is basically maligning of the electorate of Tendring.

Let me turn the question around. What political answers have the people of Clacton found so far since having Farage as their MP for two years? What single thing has he done in two years to improve the lives of the people of Clacton?

There’s little that an MP from a minor party can do to influence national policy but anything this current government has done to improve the lives of ordinary people he (if he can be bothered to turn up) and his party members have voted against.

It voted against the Labour bill to scrap the two child cap on universal credit - other than Braverman and Jenrick who walked through the wrong lobby door and mistakenly supported the government.

Pledged to repeal the Renters' Rights Act,

Proposed lowering the minimum wage for young people.

When people are moaning about young people being better off claiming benefits, how does lowering the minimum they can be they can be paid to work help?

Galaxy, you inform me today at 12.24 that " the working man" ( not working woman?) doesn't want to be told that " diversity is our strength".
Many working men and women are supporters of football teams which demonstrate the strength there is in diversity, so perhaps that's a little disingenuous.

I'd be keen to help with the Clacton campaign if only I lived there! As it is I really hope the right candidate wins, and I'm sure he'd be an excellent local MP (I don't mean Nigel)!

Since being elected in July 2024, Farage has refused to hold standard face-to-face drop-in surgeries in Clacton.
He initially claimed the House of Commons Speaker’s Office advised against them for security reasons, though he later backtracked when the Speaker's office confirmed no such specific instruction existed.

While he has skipped standard physical surgeries, his spokesperson and local team have noted that constituency problems are addressed via telephone or online Zoom surgeries.

There possibly seem to be, by invitation only, Business Meeting Sessions with local business owners rather than the general public.

GrannyGravy13

Galaxy

I wish the the people not in Clacton would think for one second why people might look elsewhere for political answers.

I agree, I am really uncomfortable with what is basically maligning of the electorate of Tendring.

I'm sorry?

Who is maligning the electorate of Tendring? Do quote...

An who is subjecting them to a totally unnecessary by-election which, in my book, points to him cynically using them for his own ends?

I , for one, am very much hoping that the people of Tendring do look elsewhere for political answers, as I think it is safe to say that their most recent MP had has not improved their lives in the slightest.

I rather have high taxes than misogynist racists leading my country
Binman sounds more intelligent than the beer swiller

BlueBelle

I rather have high taxes than misogynist racists leading my country
Binman sounds more intelligent than the beer swiller

👍👍👏👏

Cossy

BlueBelle

I rather have high taxes than misogynist racists leading my country
Binman sounds more intelligent than the beer swiller

👍👍👏👏

Ditto 👏

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Let me turn the question around. What political answers have the people of Clacton found so far since having Farage as their MP for two years? What single thing has he done in two years to improve the lives of the people of Clacton?

There’s little that an MP from a minor party can do to influence national policy but anything this current government has done to improve the lives of ordinary people he (if he can be bothered to turn up) and his party members have voted against.

It voted against the Labour bill to scrap the two child cap on universal credit - other than Braverman and Jenrick who walked through the wrong lobby door and mistakenly supported the government.

Pledged to repeal the Renters' Rights Act,

Proposed lowering the minimum wage for young people.

When people are moaning about young people being better off claiming benefits, how does lowering the minimum they can be they can be paid to work help?

I believe they voted in favour of scrapping the human rights act.